Elena Carter's world is turned upside down when she elopes with her boyfriend, Aaron, only to be kidnapped by the dangerous crime lord, Ezra Lockwood. Held captive in his mansion, Elena uncovers a dark web of lies, betrayal, and murder, leading her to question everything she thought she knew. As secrets unravel and lives are shattered, Elena's path to vengeance intertwines with a forbidden romance, and she must navigate a web of manipulation, deceit, and heartache to uncover the truth and seek justice.
Author's POV
On one of the streets of Madison, a young man around 25 years old stood with a phone pressed to his ear. From his serious expression, it was clear the conversation was important.
"Are you sure you want to do this? Think again, Elena. After this, there's no way back. Look, I'm ready, but I know this will be the hardest thing for you to do. So... think carefully."
"I'm sure. Very sure, actually. I don't want to stay here. I can't marry someone I don't even know-he's so old! My father has gone crazy ever since he learned about you. He will surely marry me off to him. So, yeah, I think this is the better option, and I'm ready."
"Alright then, I'm on the backstreet near your house, waiting for you. Come quickly."
"Okay, I'll be there in five minutes," she said before hanging up.
Dressed in a red bridal outfit, Elena hurriedly grabbed two pieces of cloth and ran to the bathroom. When she came out, her jewelry was gone, her makeup wiped clean, and her hair undone. She picked up a bag from the table, emptied its contents onto the bed, and began stuffing it with her clothes, some money, and a diary. Putting on a hoodie over her shirt, she covered her head with the hood, slipped into her sneakers, locked the door, and moved toward the window.
The height wasn't too much-she could easily escape. She opened the window and jumped out.
The house wasn't big, nor did it have a backyard. As she landed on the street, bustling with shops and people, she quickly closed the window behind her. Of course, she couldn't lock it. Adjusting her bag on her shoulders and shoving her hands into the hoodie's pockets, she started walking.
She crossed her street and soon reached the one where she was supposed to meet him. Spotting him from a distance, she walked toward him, trying to stay calm.
"Finally, you're here. No one saw you, right?" he asked.
"No, thankfully. But let's just leave-it's not safe to stay here."
"Yeah, come on," he said, holding her hand as they headed toward the road.
"Where are we going?" she asked.
"We're leaving the city," he replied.
"Aaron, are you sure your parents won't say anything?"
"Yes, I'm sure. We'll get married first, and then I'll take you home. That way, no one can say a word," he assured her. She nodded.
They stopped at a corner, waiting for a taxi. Elena held his hand tightly. She was scared-what they were doing was no small thing. They had taken a huge step, and there was no turning back.
Elena's POV
I'm scared. I don't know if what I did is right or wrong, but I had no other choice. I can't marry that old man-he's 46 or 47 years old, and he has a daughter my age. I'm just 25! The age gap is huge.
My father... I don't know what to say about him. He's mad, I guess. Just because he found out about Aaron, he's ready to ruin my life. I'm his daughter, but look at what he's doing to me. How can he even think like this?
We got into the taxi. My thoughts kept drifting to everything that had happened in the last two days. How quickly life can change. I just ran away from my marriage. I can't believe it-I still can't believe we actually did it.
Aaron is my college friend. We've been together for a year now. Everything with him is beautiful and memorable. And now, we're going to get married. I don't know if his parents will ever accept me, but... I just hope for the best.
My chain of thoughts broke as the car came to a sudden halt. I looked ahead to see a black BMW blocking the road.
"What the hell?"
"Let me check, sir," the driver said, stepping out of the car.
"What if he was sent by Dad?" I asked, clutching Aaron's hand tightly.
"Don't worry. He can't be. Look, he's a rich guy. Why would someone like him work for your dad? Let me see what's going on," Aaron said, stepping out of the car.
The man in the BMW didn't step out immediately. Aaron tried to open the door, but it was locked. I decided to get out as well to see what was happening.
"Man, what do you want? Get out or move your car. Why are you blocking the road?"
The road was narrow-too thin for two cars to pass simultaneously. I didn't know what this new problem was now.
"Hello! I'm talking to you. Are you even listening?" Aaron shouted.
Finally, the door opened. First, a pair of legs stepped out, and then the rest of the man's figure followed. He was lighting a cigarette with a lighter. Dressed in a suit, he exuded wealth and authority.
I turned around and noticed two more cars stopping behind our taxi. Four or five men, all dressed in similar suits, stepped out. They looked like bodyguards.
Wait...
What's going on?
"Who are you?" Aaron demanded.
The man didn't say a word-he was busy smoking. A moment later, the bodyguards grabbed us both.
"Hey! What are you doing? Let us go!" Aaron yelled.
I was terrified. Now I was certain-this man was sent by my father. Why else would he do this?
"Aaron!" I screamed in fear.
"Who are you? Leave us, you bastard! I'm warning you-let us go!"
I struggled to free myself, but there were too many of them. They forced us into a car, and I had no idea where we were being taken.
Oh God, what is this new problem now?
Sophie meets Ethan on her first day of college, and despite his aloofness, sparks fly between them. Sophie stumbles upon a series of strange occurrences and whispers about an old university secret-rumors about a hidden treasure linked to the founding of the school. When she finds a mysterious old letter tucked into a library book, she begins to investigate, inadvertently pulling Ethan into the mystery.
Alana and Dan were in a relationship with each other for 5 years while Chris and Jannie were together. Alana And Dan decided to get married but on wedding day Dan backed off due to which Chris took his place.
Looking at the divorce papers my lips curled up into a mocking smile. 'How big fool I am? How can I think that he will give a chance to this marriage? How can I forget that I was nothing more a tool in his eyes to vent his anger until his beloved Tara is back. Since, she was back, how can he let me stay there?' "After you will sign these papers, you will receive 100 million dollars as alimony." the lawyer added. Because of his words, I came back to my senses took the pen from him, and signed the name. I have also gotten exhausted from this marriage both physically and mentally. Even though I had wanted my child to be born into a complete family, I didn't want my child to have a stepmother and live miserably like me for the rest of his life. After taking the papers from my hand, the lawyer gave me the bank card, turned around, and was about to leave when he paused at the door. He then turned around and added, "Mr. Carter said that he hoped that you won't pester him, or you have to bear the consequences." The lawyer's words were like a knife stabbing in my heart, but I still nodded. Anyway, I also don't plan to have anything to do with him anymore. I just want to live a good life with my children. After the lawyer left, the ward fell into silence. I placed my hand on my belly and said to my children, "Baby, I am sorry, Mommy can't give you a complete family! But I promise you, I will do my best to give the love of both mother and father." 'As for giving one of my child, I will never do that. They are my babies and my alone. I and I will give birth to all of them and raise them no matter what.' Four Years Later... Anya came back to the country with her three kids, to inherit the company left by his grandfather...
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Rumors said that Lucas married an unattractive woman with no background. In the three years they were together, he remained cold and distant to Belinda, who endured in silence. Her love for him forced her to sacrifice her self-worth and her dreams. When Lucas' true love reappeared, Belinda realized that their marriage was a sham from the start, a ploy to save another woman's life. She signed the divorce papers and left. Three years later, Belinda returned as a surgical prodigy and a maestro of the piano. Lost in regret, Lucas chased her in the rain and held her tightly. "You are mine, Belinda."
During her three years of marriage with Brendan, Adeline had become as humble as dust itself. However, what she got in return wasn't love and affection, but endless indifference and disdain. Worse yet, when the woman in Brendan's heart suddenly showed up, he further distanced himself from her. Finally, Adeline couldn't stand it anymore and asked for a divorce. After all, why should she stay with such a cold, distant man? The next one would surely be better. Brendan watched as his ex-wife left with her luggage in tow. Suddenly, a thought occurred to him and he made a bet with his friends. "She'll definitely regret leaving and will come crawling back to me in no time." After hearing about this bet, Adeline sneered. "Dream on!" A few days later, Brendan ran into his ex-wife in a bar. It turned out she was celebrating her divorce. Not long after, he noticed that the damned woman seemed to have a new suitor. Brendan was starting to panic. The woman who had clung to him for three years suddenly didn't seem to give a damn about him. What was he going to do?
Rumors claimed that Fernanda, newly back with her family, was nothing more than a violent country bumpkin. Fernanda just flashed a casual, dismissive grin in response. Another rumor suggested that the usually rational Cristian had lost all sense, madly in love with Fernanda. This frustrated her. She could tolerate gossip about herself, but slander against her beloved crossed the line! Gradually, as Fernanda's multiple identities as a celebrated designer, a savvy gamer, an acclaimed painter, and a successful business magnate came to light, everyone realized they were the ones who had been fooled.
"Never let anyone treat you like shit!" I learned that the hard way. For three years, I lived with my in-laws. They didn't treat me as their son-in-law but as a slave. I put up with everything because of my wife, Yolanda Lambert. She was the light of my life. Unfortunately, my whole world came crashing down the day I caught my wife cheating on me. I have never been so heartbroken. To have my revenge, I revealed my true identity. I was none other than Liam Hoffman—the heir of a family with trillions of dollars in assets! The Lamberts were utterly shocked after the big reveal. They realized what fools they had been for treating me like trash. My wife even knelt down and begged for my forgiveness. What do you think I did? Did I take her back or made her suffer? Find out!